Instagram has been blowing up over the past couple of years and companies are finding it a great platform to showcase the "personality" and "feel" of the company. Vail has notoriously been a very conservative company who targets high profile clientele; this really shows on their Instagram. The tagline below the title of the page reads "Vail Mountain Official Vail. Looking forward to Opening Day of the winter season Nov. 22!" The tagline is very plain and informs the viewer of essential information. The photos Vail posts are often nature photos in Vail. Vail shows changing leaves in autumn, snow-capped peaks in the winter, beautiful colored flowers in the spring and hikes through the valley in the summer. Along with the nature photos, Vail posts photos from community events around vail such as the farmers market or community bike races. It is easy to see from the posts below that Vail is targeting an older and more sophisticated clientele.
Vail's photos often spark excitement and conversation about events or the upcoming ski season. However they do not partake much in responding to peoples comments on Instagram. As seen above, Vail has 361 posts 12,481 followers and is following 174 people. These numbers are very low when compared to the over 140,000 Facebook likes they have. I believe these numbers are low due to Vail's content. Although the photos are pretty, they all seem to look the same.
If Vail is looking to gain more followers, then I would recommend they revamp their photography to include a more diverse collection of photos. When diversifying, I would be careful not stray away from the conservative photos because Vail's target market is older, upper class, conservative families. This target market is less on Instagram and more on Facebook. Therefore it is crucial that Vail continues to push their Instagram photos through to Facebook, where there are more older users.
Vail Also uses Instagram for contests and promotions with other companies. One specific contest involved tagging a photo from Vail Snow Days and the best photo wins a pair of skis. The posts below explains the contest and the winners.
The Hashtag contest was set up well and had hundreds of entries. The contest was explained well and did not require any likes or follows to enter. Vail did an excellent job of posting the winning pictures and names in a public way. Winners were able to discuss their excitement and talk with Liberty Skis about their satisfaction. One thing I do not like about the posts was that they look like advertisements which takes away from the entertainment value that Instagram provides.
#aspensnowmass
Aspen/Snowmass has been on Instagram since September 2011. Their Instagram, at a glance, looks very similar to that of Vail's. There are many nature photos and photos from local events. But there are also more exciting or goofy photos that show a more fun and energetic side to Aspen. There are more playful photos on Aspen's Instagram that are reflected by their tagline at the top of their profile. It reads "Aspen, a place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano". This quote is from the movie "Dumb and Dumber" and for those of you who have not seen it, go see it. It is a funny quote that says how amazing Aspen is while still being modest and having fun with it. The comical take on Instagram fits perfectly with the headline of their mission statement "We Are Different". Aspen does a great job of showcasing how they are different through its content.
As seen in the posts above, Aspen is targeting a more young, fun-loving clientele. They are able to capture the spirit of Aspen that has been around for decades. Aspen showcases the old days of having fun on the mountain with your friends. They are not afraid to be more liberal as that is the way the mountain town has always been.
Although Aspen's posts can be a little rowdy at times, they also make sure to include community involvement. They show that they respect the delicate balance of resort and nature in the post below.
This post advertises a snowless ski race to raise awareness for climate change. Aspen is able to show that they support environmental prosperity while still fitting right in with the fun-loving goofy theme of their other posts.
Vail vs Aspen/Snowmass
After analyzing Vail and Aspen/Snowmass on Instagram I found that they are targeting two different target markets. Vail targets mostly to high income, 30+ year olds with families. Aspen/Snowmass targets less to high income 30+ year olds with families, and more to their younger audience. Their younger audience is single, in their 20's and 30's, and enjoy having fun on the mountain then partying after the mountain. Both Mountains do a good job appealing to their target market but Aspen has done a superior job appealing to a larger target market. Aspen's photos are not only more entertaining, but they appeal to a wider range of individuals. This is reflected in their large number of followers.
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